Revelation 9

Revelation 9:1

The effect of the fifth and sixth angels sounding their trumpets. Rev. IX. throughout.

REVELATION IX. 1.

AND the fifth angel sounded ; and I saw an angel of distinguished lustre, descending with such amazing velocity, that he seemed like a shooting star, (compare Job xxxviii. 7 ;) and when he was fallen, as it were, from heaven to the earth, and appeared standing upon it, there was given to him the key of the bottomless pit : And he went to the door of that infernal dungeon, and he opened the bottomless pit, and a thick smoke ascended from the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace, and it diffused itself all

Rev. IX. 1.

AND the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth : and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

And he opened the bottomless pit ; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace ; and

locusts came out of the bottomless pit;

abroad; so that the sun, and the whole body of the air, were darkened by the smoke and gloomy exhalations of the pit; which I understood as intimating some terrible calamity approaching. And I saw a very shocking appearance; for out of the smoke, there came locusts upon the earth, and a destructive power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power, that they should be as pernicious to the inhabitants of the earth, as those terrible animals, and should injure men by their stings as well as by their teeth. And there was this further remarkable circumstance, that whereas locusts bring along with them such general destruction to all vegetables, it was said to them, whom I saw on this occasion, that they should not injure the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only some human creatures; and this, under a particular limitation to the men who had not the seal of God in their foreheads; from whence I inferred that this destructive visitation should especially affect those who, whatever they might profess, were destitute of true vital religion. And to signify the lingering vexation which these destroyers should occasion to the inhabitants of the country they were to ravage. I was further informed, that it was given to them, that they should not kill them outright, but that they should be tormented five months: which might be intended to express a calamity, that should

² Locusts upon the earth.] Many protestant writers imagine these locusts to signify the religious orders of monks and friars, &c. The learned Grotius understands by them, the sect of the zealots, which appeared among the Jews during the siege, and at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem. Mr Mede, the inundation of the Saracens; and indeed, with considerable circumstances of resemblance. The ingenious Mr. Lowman confirms this interpretation; and shows, that the rise and progress of the Mahometan religion and empire, till checked by internal divisions, is a remarkable accomplishment of this part of the prophecy: which is further illustrated by the ignorance and error the Mahometans everywhere spread, their great number and hardiness, their habits, customs, and manners; namely,

twisting their hair, wearing beards, their care of their horses, invading their neighbours in summer, like locusts, sparing the trees and fruits of the country they invaded, &c. The captivity of the men, and the miserable condition of the women, exposed to persons who gave an almost unbounded liberty to their lusts, which was enough to make them even to desire death, verse 6 All these circumstances are suitable to the character of the Arabians, the history of this period, and to the particulars of the prophecy. The period extends from A. D. 568, to A. D. 675.

b Only the men who had not.] The use of the particles u μn, here, is very remarkable; and it is apparently necessary it should be rendered only, rather than except.

VOL. 6.

Who should grievously torment mankind.

endure about an hundred and fifty years. And xii. their torment, that is, that which they occasioned by their attack, [was] extremely violent, Rev. like that of a scorpion when it strikes a man. ix.5

And in these dreadful days, to which this vision refers, men shall seek death, in a wild kind of despair, and shall not find it; and they shall desire to die, and death shall flee away from them, and leave them to mourn over a life of wretchedness, all the comforts and enjoyments of which shall be utterly swallowed up in their

sufferings. And these creatures were not exactly of the form of locusts; but, though they bore some resemblance to them, in many instances, they differed from them in others, and were to be considered as a kind of hieroglyphical representation of creatures which are very mischievous and terrible; and I particularly observed, that the likeness of the locusts [was] like horses prepared for war, (compare Joel ii. 4,) especially the form of their heads; and whereas common locusts have some brilliant ornaments on their heads, and various parts of their bodies, I observed, with regard to these, that on their heads [were,] as it were, crowns like gold; and their faces were like the faces of men; which two circumstances gave me to understand, that they were intended as an emblem of mighty and powerful men, who were to reign over various provinces and

kingdoms. And they had on their heads long tresses of hair, like the tresses of women; whereas common locusts have only a down upon their breasts. And whereas other animals of that name have large strong teeth, their teeth were like the [teeth of] lions, sharp

and pointed, as well as large and strong. And instead of the fine down on the breasts of common locusts, they had breast plates like breast plates of iron; and whereas common locusts

months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man.

And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.

And they had breast plates as it were breast plates

Shall seek death, &c.] As such great numbers were, in fact, slain by these locusts, (if they signify, as is generally supposed, the Saracens,) this expression must only be understood of man’s survivors, who, by the calamities they inflicted, should be made weary of their lives. See note.

A kind of hieroglyphical representation.] As there are no animals in nature answerable to those which are here described, I take it for granted, that as the four animals mentioned above are hieroglyphics of angels, so are these of mischievous creatures. Compare chap. iv. 7, note.

The sixth angel sounds:

make a terrible noise with their wings, the noise which these strange and symbolical locusts made, by the motion of their wings, [was] like the noise of chariots, [and] many horses rushing to war; so that they seemed to tear the ground with their rage and fury, and to shake the air with their neighings. And instead of being formed at the lower end of their bodies, as other locusts are, which have no stings, but are quite inoffensive and innocent animals, these creatures had tails like scorpions, and their stings were in their tails; and their power, as I observed above, [was] given them to hurt the earth, and men its inhabitants, for about five months, or about an hundred and fifty years. And they had a king over them, wherein they further differed from the locust kind, (Prov. xxx. 27.) who is the angel of the bottomless pit, and the great head of those apostate spirits who dwell there; whose name is in the Hebrew language, Abaddon; and in the Greek, he has the name of Apollyon: both the one, and the other, expressing his destructive nature, and the dreadful havoc he makes, wherever his attempts are successful. And thus, one wo is gone; [and] behold yet other two woes besides it, coming, threatening yet more terrible calamities than these.

And upon this the sixth angel sounded; and I did not see any immediate appearance in consequence of it; but I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which was before God, (which seemed therefore to come from the most holy place which was directly behind it,) Saying to the sixth angel, who still had the trumpet which he had sounded in his hand, Loosen now the four angels, which are

Abaddon.] When the etymology is so evident, and so particularly explained by the author, I cannot but wonder at Dr. More’s endeavour to explain it another way, as referring to the profession which the Mahometans should make of maintaining the doctrine of the Unity. See More’s Theol. Works, p. 130.

The four angels which are bound.] Grotius refers this to the Roman army under four commanders, which came from the borders of this river. Mr. Mede, to the

four beglerbegs of the Turks; and he in terprets, ver. 17, of guns invented about that time, and used by them in their successful war upon the Europeans. Sethe passage at large in More’s Theol. Works, p. 130, 131. They, who refer this passage to the rise of the Turkish Ottoman empire, suppose that the four angels mean either four provinces, or four cities near Euphrates, from whence considerable leaders arose, who pushed on, and advanced the Turkish conquests; and

And a vast army of horsemen issue forth to es: bound in the great river Euphrates; who were intended to represent some potentates arising from that part of the world, who, in the period referred to, should become very famous throughout the earth, for their exploits and achievements. And the four angels were loosened, who were prepared for a certain period of time, signified, according to the prophetic reckoning, by an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year; that they might make a great slaughter among the inhabitants of the earth; or, as it was expressed to me in the vision, according to the language used before, might kill a third part of the men, who, after the preceding plagues continued upon it. They accordingly appeared, as leading on a mighty army; and the number of the horsemen they led on, was immensely great, represented to me by two myriads of myriads, that is, no less than two hundred millions. And I heard the number of them thus mentioned to me, as it was impossible for me to count them. And I saw the horses, and those that sat upon them thus, in [their] appearance; that is, having breast plates of fire, and hyacinth, and brimstone, which seemed to send forth blue, burning flames, which went devouring before them; and the

Mr. Pyle, and others, have endeavoured to confirm this interpretation. But, as the Turkish empire did not commence till the 13th century, this event seems to be too late in the successive orders of periods, and correspondent events. Mr. Lowman’s interpretation seems to me much more probable, which refers it to the reunion of the divided Saracen power, their invading and ravaging Europe, till they were defeated by Charles Martel; and agreeable to ver. 20, 21, the sufferers were so far from repenting, that image worship was confirmed by order of the Pope, and the authority of councils in the east and west. This period reaches from A. D. 675, to A. D. 750.

[Of an hour, and a day, &c.] Dr. Lloyd, bishop of Worcester, in his interpretation of this passage, foretold, many years before it happened, that peace would be concluded with the Turks in the year 1698, which accordingly came to pass; and that they should no more renew their wars against the popish Christians. His argument was, that the angels were the commanders of the many Turkish squadrons who had been before subject to the Sultan of Babylon. And as for the time here mentioned, he endeavours to show it to be, in the prophetic style, 39 years; and computing, from their conquest at Prousse, in 1502, by adding 396, the number will be 1698. See Bishop Burnet’s History of his Times, Vol. I. p. 204. But how lucky soever the conjecture was, it does not convince me, that it is the true interpretation; and so much the less, as it seems evident to me, the year spoken of in this book, consists only of 360 days. Besides, the Turks have renewed their war on the Popish Christians, particularly on the Emperor and the republic of Venice, in 1716, and since. As for the phrases, an hour, a day, &c. I do not understand them; they may, perhaps, only signify a determined, limited time, as such expressions in scripture frequently do; though they would seem most naturally, and agreeable to the prophetic reckoning, to denote about 391 years.

et those who were spared, repented not.

heads of the horses [were] like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths went fire, and smoke, and brimstone, to represent the courage and fierceness of these armies, and the irresistible destruction they should make, wherever they marched. And with the united force of these three things, that is, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, that went out of their mouths, they slew a third part of men, as was declared above. And as the destroyers, represented by the locusts, appeared as having devouring teeth, and stings like scorpions in their tails, these had likewise a double provision of mischievous furniture; for their powers are partly in their mouth, from whence, as I have already said, the fire appeared to issue, and in their tails; and their tails also [are] like serpents, having heads, and with them, as well as with their mouths, they injure men. Thus they were represented as bringing a most fearful destruction on the human species. Yet it was not productive of such a reformation as might have been expected: the remainder of men who died not by these plagues, did not repent of the wicked works of their hands, nor reform those abominations which had brought down destruction on their brethren; and particularly, did not forsake those detestable superstitions which had been so offensive to God, that they might not worship demons, and senseless idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and wood; which, instead of having any Divine properties, are destitute of the senses common to men, and even to brutes, as they can neither see, nor hear, nor walk. And they repented not of other crimes, more immediately affecting their fellow creatures, such for instance, as their murders, and their sorceries; nor their fornication, nor their thefts

h Not worship demons.] This demon worship Mr Mede has taken great pains to prove, to be the worship of dead men, which is so common in the church of Rome. As for their worshipping idols of gold, silver, brass, wood, and stone, the fact is as evident, as that the heathens themselves ever practised such idolatrous worship.

i Sorceries.] By φαμακαιον, Dr. Clark understands all the superstitious methods of making men fancy themselves to be religious, by what others can do for, or to them, or what they can do for themselves, without the practice of true righteousness and virtue. Clarke’s xviiith Serm. p. 1 But others understand by it the arts of poisoning.

Reflections on the Divine power overruling Satan.

and robberies, by which they had so notoriously injured all about them, and bid defiance to every law, but that of their own unruly appetites and passions, to which they were held in the basest subjection.

IMPROVEMENT.

IT is exceeding natural to reflect, while reading this representation, how exactly the mightiest princes, and most savage destroyers of mankind, execute the plan of Divine Providence, and fulfil the decrees of God; even while they are intending nothing, but the gratification of their own ambition, and avarice, and cruelty. The angel of God holds the keys of the bottomless pit; and it is by Divine permission, that these voracious locusts issue forth and infest the earth. The ministers of God’s pleasure, bind the messengers of destruction, and loosen them at the Divine command. And the season, wherein they shall ravage the world, is here limited to a year, to a day, to an hour: ABADDON, APOLLYON, the great and mighty destroyer, cannot effect the least of his mischievous and ruinous purposes, without the permission of the Preserver and Redeemer of mankind; and cannot go beyond his limits. And even the mischief which he does, is intended and overruled to subserve the wisest and kindest designs. But O, how grievous it is to think of that degree of obstinacy and perverseness which so generally prevails in the world, and which renders men so incorrigible, under the most painful chastisements Satan is permitted to inflict. Send forth, O Lord, the gentle influences of thy Spirit, and melt those hearts, which will not be broken by the weightiest strokes of thy vengeance; and deliver us from a temper, so much resembling that of hell, and so evidently leading down to those dreadful abodes; the temper of those who are hardened by correction, and in the time of their affliction and misery, increase and multiply their transgressions against thee.